I started playing with pens and crayons in my 50’s, after an Art O’ level many years previous. I knew I was drawn to art-making but I had to work hard to establish the “habit”. I bought some second hand jeans and a tunic, and when I wore these I knew to sit at my art desk. I now miss my art if I go for more than a few days without it.

I work with mixed materials (media), most of which get on very well with water. These include pencil, crayons, inks, charcoal, and soft pastels. I really enjoy making collages, and especially making the collage papers.

I have recently bought a press, and am enjoying the playful opportunities it provides - experimenting with monotype, collagraph and other printmaking methods, and within that, creating textured surfaces on the plate, with fabrics and different papers, and adding other media. As with the crayons and pastels, the vibrant colours are a joy to work with. The press already feels like an essential friend!

Some of my favourite art moments are underlayers (initial layers which are then worked over), and sketches, both in my work and that of other artists. It can be hard adding new layers to these images, trying to carry that moment of light touch to the final stages.

I turn to many sources for learning: 1-2-1 tutorials; short courses both in-person and online; YouTube videos; other artists; my own commitment to graft; and time for reflection. My “working wall” faces me in my art room, with work in various stages, waiting for clarity on the way forward. There is a fine balance between play, focused concentration, and waiting. My website, at any point, is a snapshot of an art journey.

Some of my key artistic guides, so far, are:

  • Ellsworth Kelly’s line drawings

  • Mary Fedden and her sense of space

  • Percy Kelly and his use of line

  • R.J. Lloyd animal prints, I just love these